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INDEX
NEWS AROUND INDIAN COUNTRY 2
NEWS BRIEFS 3
COMMENTARY/EDITORIALS 4
CLASSIFIEDS 7
When Right is Right!
page 4
Hoi Ho! Hoi Now Where
Did Those Leech Lake
RBC Guys Go?
page 4
Leech Lake Monarchy
Continues to Roll On or
Connections
page 4
Why Settle for Less
With Clarence
"Chuck" Smith?
page 4
Importance of Early
Diagnosis, Intervention
page 4
Leech Lake Judge rules a felony is not a felony
By Bill Lawrence
Not unexpectedly Chief
Judge Korey Wahwassuck of
the Leech Lake Tribal Court
ruled against plaintiffs Lawrence
"Sandy" Gotchie, Dale Green and
Wallace Storbakken who sought
a court order to restrain George
Goggleye, Jr. from continuing in
his capacity as Leech Lake Tribal
Chairman.
Plaintiffs' Attorney Frank
Bibeau contends that the revised
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (MCT)
constitution prohibits any person
who has "ever been convicted of a
felony of any kind" from running
for or holding tribal office.
Goggleye was convicted of
fifth degree assault November
18,1993. In 1997, his probation
was completed, his civil rights
restored and the offense deemed
a misdemeanor.
Plaintiffs assert that, because
Chairman Goggleye had been
declared a felon by State of
Minnesota authorities for a
period of nearly four years, he is
ineligible to hold office.
Judge Wahwassuck's ruling
was based on a Leech Lake Tribal
Juvenile
detention
center sits
empty, unused
at Red Lake
by Tom Robertson
Minnesota Public Radio
Two years ago, the Red Lake
Band of Ojibwe completed
construction of a $2 million
juvenile detention center.
But so far the facility hasn't
housed a single juvenile.
The building stands empty
while the tribe wrangles with
the federal government over
money. '
Tribal officials say the
Bureau of Indian Affairs
is responsible for the cost
of running the detention
program. The. tribe recently
filed a lawsuit against the
agency to force some action.
Red Lake Reservation
— The 11,000-square-foot
building was completed in
January 2005, but has never
been used for its intended
purpose. It's designed to
provide minimum security
for up to 24 low-level juvenile
offenders. It's meant to
help the tribe deal with a
significant number of kids
involved in drugs and alcohol,
violence and gangs. These are
kids who are in and out ofthe
tribal court system, but too
young to be placed in an adult
jail.
The Bureau of Indian
Affairs fully furnished the
facility with bunk beds, office
equipment and classroom
furniture. John Dudley, the
building's custodian, says it's
all going to waste.
"It's just a beautiful building
and it defeats the purpose by
not having it open," said
Dudley. "If they weren't going
to utilize the building they
shouldn't have built it in the
first place. The building is
here, and it's silly just to let it
sit. You know, you're talking
about tax dollars. Well, here's
tax dollars just sitting going
to waste."
The tribe built the facility
using a grant from the
Department of Justice. Tribal
officials say the intent was to
turn ownership ofthe building
over to the BIA. It's typical
for the federal government
to own such facilities in
Indian Country. There are
BIA documents promising to
provide the money to operate
the detention program. The
tribe is still waiting for that to
happen according to Red Lake
Chairman Buck Jourdain.
"A lot of times we really
have to tussle with these
federal agencies in order
to complete projects," said
Jourdain. "And in this case
that's one of them, where
an obligation was made to
the tribe to provide a facility
that would work towards
rehabilitating young people...
We got the funding for the
building, but unfortunately
the operating costs didn't pan
out."
It's sort of past the point of
desperation, I guess. We don't
feel like we have any other
options.
- Lisa Spears
In October, the Red Lake tribe
filed a lawsuit in federal court
against the Department of
CENTER to page 6
Council resolution that stated for
the purpose of meeting candidate
certification requirements, "any
candidate's conviction that is
deemed to be a misdemeanor
under Minnesota Statute 609.13
will be deemed a misdemeanor
for certification purposes."
Essentially, the State allows for
commutation of a felony offense
to a misdemeanor provided
the individual so convicted
satisfactorily completes the
probation period. That Goggleye's
conviction was reduced, plaintiffs
argued, does not remove the
fact that he was a convicted
felon. And this fact precludes
his eligibility to hold tribal office
under the terms of the revised
MCT constitution.
Judge Wahwassuck cited the
law referenced in the tribal
certification resolution as
absolving Goggleye from felony
status. She argued that election
ordinance #10 of the MCT "asks
the court to look to Minnesota
law to resolve issues concerning
eligibility for holding office."
She stated the MCT constitution
concerning candidate eligibility is
not inconsistent with Minnesota
law, which is the jurisdiction in
which Goggleye's offense was
prosecuted.
In concluding remarks,
Plaintiffs' attorney Bibeau argued,
that tribal members adopted a
constitutional law, which barred
anyone from holding office if they
had ever been convicted of a felony
offense. And further, holding up
a state law that may have been
enacted to govern other purposes,
e g. criminal history points or for
employment considerations, is
inappropriate and irrelevant to
their complaint.
This, Bibeau contends, is
not what the people of Leech
Lake adopted when their vote
approved the MCT constitutional
revisions.
Wahwassuck wrote, "In the
final analysis, the answer as
to whether a disposition is a
conviction . . . may vary greatly
depending upon the reason the
question is'being asked." And,
we add, by whom and for what
reason.
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
Johnson responsive; recovery
possible; next two days critical
By Bill Harlan
Rapid City Journal
A few hours after Sen. Tim
Johnson's brain surgery, his wife,
Barbara, asked him to open his
eyes. The senator complied, then
he reached out to her and the
couple held hands, an aide said.
"That's typical of them,"
spokesman Julianne Fisher said
late Thursday afternoon.
Fisher added, cautiously,
"We're a little upbeat."
Johnson was recovering
Thursday at George Washington
University Hospital in
Washington, D.C, after surgery
late Wednesday night to repair
a bleeding arteriovenous
malformation, or AVM -
- a congenital defect doctors
describe as a tangle of blood
vessels in the brain.
About 300,000 Americans are
born with AVMs, according to the
National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke, but only
about 12 percent n or 36,000 n
experience symptoms.
AVMs kill about 3,000 people
a year, usually because the
constricted vessels weaken, burst
SURGERY to page 6
National Methamphetamine
Awareness Day Declared:
By Jean Pagano
President Bush declared
Monday, December 4th as National
Methamphetamine Awareness
Day. The President stated that,
"Methamphetamine abuse
shatters families and threatens
our communities. On National
Methamphetamine Awareness
Day, we underscore the dangers of
methamphetamine and reaffirm
our collective responsibility
to combat all forms of drug
abuse."
Native American communities
have higher rates of
methamphetamine abuse than
among any other ethnicities.
While the problem of meth
has been around for several
years on the reservation, Native
communities have had to face
the battle against meth abuse
with limited local and federal
resources.
A new coalition was formed
to help combat the incidence of
meth abuse on the reservation.
The members of the coalition
are a melding of governmental
and Native organizations. These
partners are the Department
of the Interior, the Partnership
for a Drug-Free America, the
Department of Health and Human
Services, the Office of National
Drug Control Policy, and the
National Congress of American
DAY to page 6
Tribe considering making own
cigarettes to boost revenues
By William Kates •
Associated Press
NEDROW, N.Y. - The Onondaga
Indian Nation is considering
opening a cigarette factory in a
warehouse it is building on its
territory south of Syracuse.
The cigarette factory is one
of several possible ventures the
Onondaga are discussing, Joseph
Heath, the tribe's attorney, said
Wednesday.
Other possibilities include an
organic grocery store, a pharmacy
or a lumber store, he said.
At this time, though, the
cigarette factory is the front-
runner.
"The tribe needs to maintain
an income. If the opportunity is
there with cigarettes, the tribe
will reluctantly continue. It's not
the ideal business the Onondagas
want to be in, but it's something
that has worked well," Heath
said.
The tribe began building
the warehouse last month and
expects to complete it by late
spring. It sits next to the tribe's
smoke shop and million-dollar
lacrosse arena.
The decision on whether to
go ahead with a cigarette factory
depends on whether the tribe can
work out an agreement with the
federal government, Heath said.
Cigarette manufacturers,
including those operating on
Indian territory, are required
to obtain a federal permit from
the U.S. Treasury Department,
agency spokesman Art Resnick
said. The Onondaga are still
exploring legal issues involving
TRIBEtopage6
Carl Artman, Oneida, named
assistant secretary
Indianz.com
" A lawyer and former lobbyist
with experience in tribal matters
and connections to the Republican
party was nominated as the
assistant secretary for Indian
affairs on Tuesday.
Carl J. Artman, a member of
the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin,
already works at the Interior
Department. For the past several
months, he's been providing legal
advice on Indian issues within the
Office ofthe Solicitor.
More recently, Artman served
as chief counsel to the Oneida
Nation, where he dealt with
land-into-trust, land claims,
gaming, taxation and other hot
issues. In the mid-1990s, he
also represented the tribe as its
lobbyist in Washington, D.C.
And like his predecessor,
the famed entrepreneur Dave
Anderson, the new nominee has
a background in business as well.
Since the 1990s, he has served
as a top executive for companies
in the telecommunications and
technology fields.
"We're excited that another
Oneida has been appointed to a
top position in the nation," said
Bobbi Webster, the director of
public relations for the tribe. "It
speaks to the high aspirations
and the greatness of the Oneida
Nation of Wisconsin."
With a deep background in
tribal issues on his side, Artman
has ties to the Republican party
and the Bush administration.
In 2002, he was appointed by
President Bush to serve on the
ONEIDA to page 6
'• web page: www.press-on.net
Native
We Support Equal Opportunity For All People
A weekly publication. Copyright, Native American Press, 2006
Founded in 1988
Volume 19 Issue 19
December 15, 2006
the Caldwell High School
Gymnasium to watcn the
Winter Social Powwow, ■
Saturday, Pec. 9,2G06,
in Caldwell, Idaho, which
included American Indian
singing, dancing, a storytelling competition and
vendors. DeMstria and
DeCarian are from Owyhee,
Nev. and are part of the
Shoshone-Piaute tribe.
Jtie I dalto Statesman. Joe jaszewskt
Fargo North graduate lawsuit
alleges discrimination
Associated Press
FARGO, N.D. - A Fargo North
graduate has filed a $2 million
lawsuit, alleging he was kicked
off the basketball team because
he's an American Indian.
The lawsuit filed by Mark
Lussier and his family says
Lussier was kicked off the team
two days before the 2005 state
tournament.
The lawsuit also seeks a
basketball letter, a second-place
trophy won by the team and
cultural sensitivity training for
school officials.
North coach Dan Shultis
and other school, officials deny
any discrimination. In court
documents, the coaches said
Lussier had problems with
timeliness and with running
plays, and that removing him
LAWSUIT to page 3
Relative
abduction ruled
out in missing
Red Lake boys
Associated Press
RED LAKE, Minn. - Authorities
believe they have ruled out an
abduction by a relative in the
disappearance of two young
brothers.
Tristan White, 4, and Avery
BOYS to page 6
Haskell
University
prepares for
transition as
president retires
Associated Press
LAWRENCE, Kan. - Karen
Swisher, preparing to retire soon
after seven years as president
of Haskell Indian Nations
University, is earning praise
from colleagues and students as
a skilled educator and gracious
leader who directed the school
through difficult financial
times.
Swisher, 63, announced in
May that she planned to retire at
the end of December, saying the
timing was right as the school
neared completion of a five-year
strategic plan. She accepted gifts
and greeted well-wishers Friday
HASKELL to page 5
Sacred gift: Bois Forte Chippewa
delight in return of scrolls
By Larry Oakes
Star Tribune of Minneapolis
TOWER, Minn. (AP) - For those
who believe in spiritual forces,
the story of the sacred scrolls of
the Bois Forte Chippewa offers
a wonderful affirmation. For
those who believe we walk alone,
the story offers an amazing
coincidence.
In September, members of
the northern Minnesota tribe
gathered at Spirit Island on
Nett Lake for a. ceremony.
There, according to witnesses, a
drumkeeper named Shane Drift
recounted his recent dream
that forgotten stories and songs
of the tribe would somehow
"come back to us." About two
weeks later, in early October, the
phone rang at the new Bois Forte
Heritage Center and Cultural
Museum, next to Fortune Bay
Casino.
The caller was Raymond
Cloutier, a physician in Bowling
Green, Ky. Cloutier said that
hanging in glass cases on the
walls of his study were 42 birch
bark scrolls inscribed with
symbols and pictures.
Cloutier said the scrolls had
come with a letter saying that
some of the scrolls were more
than 200 years old, and all
originated "at Nett Lake on the
Bois Forte Reservation."
The letter _ a report from
a historical society that had
sought interpretation from
Ojibwe medicine men _ said
the scrolls depicted ceremonial
songs "concerning the most
fundamental laws and needs of
the (Ojibwe) people."
Cloutier told the astounded
museum curator, Bill Latady,
that he had cherished the scrolls
GIFT to page 5

INDEX
NEWS AROUND INDIAN COUNTRY 2
NEWS BRIEFS 3
COMMENTARY/EDITORIALS 4
CLASSIFIEDS 7
When Right is Right!
page 4
Hoi Ho! Hoi Now Where
Did Those Leech Lake
RBC Guys Go?
page 4
Leech Lake Monarchy
Continues to Roll On or
Connections
page 4
Why Settle for Less
With Clarence
"Chuck" Smith?
page 4
Importance of Early
Diagnosis, Intervention
page 4
Leech Lake Judge rules a felony is not a felony
By Bill Lawrence
Not unexpectedly Chief
Judge Korey Wahwassuck of
the Leech Lake Tribal Court
ruled against plaintiffs Lawrence
"Sandy" Gotchie, Dale Green and
Wallace Storbakken who sought
a court order to restrain George
Goggleye, Jr. from continuing in
his capacity as Leech Lake Tribal
Chairman.
Plaintiffs' Attorney Frank
Bibeau contends that the revised
Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (MCT)
constitution prohibits any person
who has "ever been convicted of a
felony of any kind" from running
for or holding tribal office.
Goggleye was convicted of
fifth degree assault November
18,1993. In 1997, his probation
was completed, his civil rights
restored and the offense deemed
a misdemeanor.
Plaintiffs assert that, because
Chairman Goggleye had been
declared a felon by State of
Minnesota authorities for a
period of nearly four years, he is
ineligible to hold office.
Judge Wahwassuck's ruling
was based on a Leech Lake Tribal
Juvenile
detention
center sits
empty, unused
at Red Lake
by Tom Robertson
Minnesota Public Radio
Two years ago, the Red Lake
Band of Ojibwe completed
construction of a $2 million
juvenile detention center.
But so far the facility hasn't
housed a single juvenile.
The building stands empty
while the tribe wrangles with
the federal government over
money. '
Tribal officials say the
Bureau of Indian Affairs
is responsible for the cost
of running the detention
program. The. tribe recently
filed a lawsuit against the
agency to force some action.
Red Lake Reservation
— The 11,000-square-foot
building was completed in
January 2005, but has never
been used for its intended
purpose. It's designed to
provide minimum security
for up to 24 low-level juvenile
offenders. It's meant to
help the tribe deal with a
significant number of kids
involved in drugs and alcohol,
violence and gangs. These are
kids who are in and out ofthe
tribal court system, but too
young to be placed in an adult
jail.
The Bureau of Indian
Affairs fully furnished the
facility with bunk beds, office
equipment and classroom
furniture. John Dudley, the
building's custodian, says it's
all going to waste.
"It's just a beautiful building
and it defeats the purpose by
not having it open," said
Dudley. "If they weren't going
to utilize the building they
shouldn't have built it in the
first place. The building is
here, and it's silly just to let it
sit. You know, you're talking
about tax dollars. Well, here's
tax dollars just sitting going
to waste."
The tribe built the facility
using a grant from the
Department of Justice. Tribal
officials say the intent was to
turn ownership ofthe building
over to the BIA. It's typical
for the federal government
to own such facilities in
Indian Country. There are
BIA documents promising to
provide the money to operate
the detention program. The
tribe is still waiting for that to
happen according to Red Lake
Chairman Buck Jourdain.
"A lot of times we really
have to tussle with these
federal agencies in order
to complete projects," said
Jourdain. "And in this case
that's one of them, where
an obligation was made to
the tribe to provide a facility
that would work towards
rehabilitating young people...
We got the funding for the
building, but unfortunately
the operating costs didn't pan
out."
It's sort of past the point of
desperation, I guess. We don't
feel like we have any other
options.
- Lisa Spears
In October, the Red Lake tribe
filed a lawsuit in federal court
against the Department of
CENTER to page 6
Council resolution that stated for
the purpose of meeting candidate
certification requirements, "any
candidate's conviction that is
deemed to be a misdemeanor
under Minnesota Statute 609.13
will be deemed a misdemeanor
for certification purposes."
Essentially, the State allows for
commutation of a felony offense
to a misdemeanor provided
the individual so convicted
satisfactorily completes the
probation period. That Goggleye's
conviction was reduced, plaintiffs
argued, does not remove the
fact that he was a convicted
felon. And this fact precludes
his eligibility to hold tribal office
under the terms of the revised
MCT constitution.
Judge Wahwassuck cited the
law referenced in the tribal
certification resolution as
absolving Goggleye from felony
status. She argued that election
ordinance #10 of the MCT "asks
the court to look to Minnesota
law to resolve issues concerning
eligibility for holding office."
She stated the MCT constitution
concerning candidate eligibility is
not inconsistent with Minnesota
law, which is the jurisdiction in
which Goggleye's offense was
prosecuted.
In concluding remarks,
Plaintiffs' attorney Bibeau argued,
that tribal members adopted a
constitutional law, which barred
anyone from holding office if they
had ever been convicted of a felony
offense. And further, holding up
a state law that may have been
enacted to govern other purposes,
e g. criminal history points or for
employment considerations, is
inappropriate and irrelevant to
their complaint.
This, Bibeau contends, is
not what the people of Leech
Lake adopted when their vote
approved the MCT constitutional
revisions.
Wahwassuck wrote, "In the
final analysis, the answer as
to whether a disposition is a
conviction . . . may vary greatly
depending upon the reason the
question is'being asked." And,
we add, by whom and for what
reason.
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
Johnson responsive; recovery
possible; next two days critical
By Bill Harlan
Rapid City Journal
A few hours after Sen. Tim
Johnson's brain surgery, his wife,
Barbara, asked him to open his
eyes. The senator complied, then
he reached out to her and the
couple held hands, an aide said.
"That's typical of them,"
spokesman Julianne Fisher said
late Thursday afternoon.
Fisher added, cautiously,
"We're a little upbeat."
Johnson was recovering
Thursday at George Washington
University Hospital in
Washington, D.C, after surgery
late Wednesday night to repair
a bleeding arteriovenous
malformation, or AVM -
- a congenital defect doctors
describe as a tangle of blood
vessels in the brain.
About 300,000 Americans are
born with AVMs, according to the
National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke, but only
about 12 percent n or 36,000 n
experience symptoms.
AVMs kill about 3,000 people
a year, usually because the
constricted vessels weaken, burst
SURGERY to page 6
National Methamphetamine
Awareness Day Declared:
By Jean Pagano
President Bush declared
Monday, December 4th as National
Methamphetamine Awareness
Day. The President stated that,
"Methamphetamine abuse
shatters families and threatens
our communities. On National
Methamphetamine Awareness
Day, we underscore the dangers of
methamphetamine and reaffirm
our collective responsibility
to combat all forms of drug
abuse."
Native American communities
have higher rates of
methamphetamine abuse than
among any other ethnicities.
While the problem of meth
has been around for several
years on the reservation, Native
communities have had to face
the battle against meth abuse
with limited local and federal
resources.
A new coalition was formed
to help combat the incidence of
meth abuse on the reservation.
The members of the coalition
are a melding of governmental
and Native organizations. These
partners are the Department
of the Interior, the Partnership
for a Drug-Free America, the
Department of Health and Human
Services, the Office of National
Drug Control Policy, and the
National Congress of American
DAY to page 6
Tribe considering making own
cigarettes to boost revenues
By William Kates •
Associated Press
NEDROW, N.Y. - The Onondaga
Indian Nation is considering
opening a cigarette factory in a
warehouse it is building on its
territory south of Syracuse.
The cigarette factory is one
of several possible ventures the
Onondaga are discussing, Joseph
Heath, the tribe's attorney, said
Wednesday.
Other possibilities include an
organic grocery store, a pharmacy
or a lumber store, he said.
At this time, though, the
cigarette factory is the front-
runner.
"The tribe needs to maintain
an income. If the opportunity is
there with cigarettes, the tribe
will reluctantly continue. It's not
the ideal business the Onondagas
want to be in, but it's something
that has worked well," Heath
said.
The tribe began building
the warehouse last month and
expects to complete it by late
spring. It sits next to the tribe's
smoke shop and million-dollar
lacrosse arena.
The decision on whether to
go ahead with a cigarette factory
depends on whether the tribe can
work out an agreement with the
federal government, Heath said.
Cigarette manufacturers,
including those operating on
Indian territory, are required
to obtain a federal permit from
the U.S. Treasury Department,
agency spokesman Art Resnick
said. The Onondaga are still
exploring legal issues involving
TRIBEtopage6
Carl Artman, Oneida, named
assistant secretary
Indianz.com
" A lawyer and former lobbyist
with experience in tribal matters
and connections to the Republican
party was nominated as the
assistant secretary for Indian
affairs on Tuesday.
Carl J. Artman, a member of
the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin,
already works at the Interior
Department. For the past several
months, he's been providing legal
advice on Indian issues within the
Office ofthe Solicitor.
More recently, Artman served
as chief counsel to the Oneida
Nation, where he dealt with
land-into-trust, land claims,
gaming, taxation and other hot
issues. In the mid-1990s, he
also represented the tribe as its
lobbyist in Washington, D.C.
And like his predecessor,
the famed entrepreneur Dave
Anderson, the new nominee has
a background in business as well.
Since the 1990s, he has served
as a top executive for companies
in the telecommunications and
technology fields.
"We're excited that another
Oneida has been appointed to a
top position in the nation," said
Bobbi Webster, the director of
public relations for the tribe. "It
speaks to the high aspirations
and the greatness of the Oneida
Nation of Wisconsin."
With a deep background in
tribal issues on his side, Artman
has ties to the Republican party
and the Bush administration.
In 2002, he was appointed by
President Bush to serve on the
ONEIDA to page 6
'• web page: www.press-on.net
Native
We Support Equal Opportunity For All People
A weekly publication. Copyright, Native American Press, 2006
Founded in 1988
Volume 19 Issue 19
December 15, 2006
the Caldwell High School
Gymnasium to watcn the
Winter Social Powwow, ■
Saturday, Pec. 9,2G06,
in Caldwell, Idaho, which
included American Indian
singing, dancing, a storytelling competition and
vendors. DeMstria and
DeCarian are from Owyhee,
Nev. and are part of the
Shoshone-Piaute tribe.
Jtie I dalto Statesman. Joe jaszewskt
Fargo North graduate lawsuit
alleges discrimination
Associated Press
FARGO, N.D. - A Fargo North
graduate has filed a $2 million
lawsuit, alleging he was kicked
off the basketball team because
he's an American Indian.
The lawsuit filed by Mark
Lussier and his family says
Lussier was kicked off the team
two days before the 2005 state
tournament.
The lawsuit also seeks a
basketball letter, a second-place
trophy won by the team and
cultural sensitivity training for
school officials.
North coach Dan Shultis
and other school, officials deny
any discrimination. In court
documents, the coaches said
Lussier had problems with
timeliness and with running
plays, and that removing him
LAWSUIT to page 3
Relative
abduction ruled
out in missing
Red Lake boys
Associated Press
RED LAKE, Minn. - Authorities
believe they have ruled out an
abduction by a relative in the
disappearance of two young
brothers.
Tristan White, 4, and Avery
BOYS to page 6
Haskell
University
prepares for
transition as
president retires
Associated Press
LAWRENCE, Kan. - Karen
Swisher, preparing to retire soon
after seven years as president
of Haskell Indian Nations
University, is earning praise
from colleagues and students as
a skilled educator and gracious
leader who directed the school
through difficult financial
times.
Swisher, 63, announced in
May that she planned to retire at
the end of December, saying the
timing was right as the school
neared completion of a five-year
strategic plan. She accepted gifts
and greeted well-wishers Friday
HASKELL to page 5
Sacred gift: Bois Forte Chippewa
delight in return of scrolls
By Larry Oakes
Star Tribune of Minneapolis
TOWER, Minn. (AP) - For those
who believe in spiritual forces,
the story of the sacred scrolls of
the Bois Forte Chippewa offers
a wonderful affirmation. For
those who believe we walk alone,
the story offers an amazing
coincidence.
In September, members of
the northern Minnesota tribe
gathered at Spirit Island on
Nett Lake for a. ceremony.
There, according to witnesses, a
drumkeeper named Shane Drift
recounted his recent dream
that forgotten stories and songs
of the tribe would somehow
"come back to us." About two
weeks later, in early October, the
phone rang at the new Bois Forte
Heritage Center and Cultural
Museum, next to Fortune Bay
Casino.
The caller was Raymond
Cloutier, a physician in Bowling
Green, Ky. Cloutier said that
hanging in glass cases on the
walls of his study were 42 birch
bark scrolls inscribed with
symbols and pictures.
Cloutier said the scrolls had
come with a letter saying that
some of the scrolls were more
than 200 years old, and all
originated "at Nett Lake on the
Bois Forte Reservation."
The letter _ a report from
a historical society that had
sought interpretation from
Ojibwe medicine men _ said
the scrolls depicted ceremonial
songs "concerning the most
fundamental laws and needs of
the (Ojibwe) people."
Cloutier told the astounded
museum curator, Bill Latady,
that he had cherished the scrolls
GIFT to page 5